Pope Benedict XVI has on Tuesday created new rules for Anglican priests who want to be part of the Catholic church, allowing them to join while maintaining their identity and their traditions, even if they are married.Vatican Cardinal William Joseph Levada explained how, "with the preparation of an Apostolic Constitution, the Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion."
The new rules are being implemented amid splits among followers of the Anglican faith worldwide over the issues of ordinanation of women priests and homosexuality. The recent developments have led conservatives in the Church of England to consider joining the Roman Catholic Church.
In a media conference on Tuesday held in the Vatican, Levada said the Vatican's Apostolic Constitution offers a single model for the Church and it also provides for the ordination of married priests.
"The forthcoming Apostolic Constitution provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a worldwide phenomenon, by offering a single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application. It provides for the ordination as Catholic priests of married former Anglican clergy."
"Our communion is therefore strengthened by such legitimate diversity, and so we are happy that these men and women bring with them their particular contributions to our common life of faith," concluded Levad. He is also the head of the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In a joint declaration on the same subject, Catholic Archbishop Vincent Gerard Nichols of Westminster and Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury affirmed that the announcement of the Apostolic Constitution "brings to an end a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity with the Catholic Church."
"It will now be up to those who have made requests to the Holy See to respond to the Apostolic Constitution", which is a "consequence of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.
There are over 77 million Anglicans worldwide, the third largest group after Roman Catholics Eastern Orthodox Christians.
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SIC: AKI